


Connecting the Dots

by peoriapeoria



Series: Fitter of the Species [31]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner/Steve Rogers background, Gen, Marriage, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark background - Freeform, Science Bros, henna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 06:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15745716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoriapeoria/pseuds/peoriapeoria
Summary: Tony and Bruce talk in the lab.





	Connecting the Dots

**Author's Note:**

> This story is related to [Together](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7352683) though only the last scene of that is referenced.

Tony was observant, he did see things. He just wasn't always good with people unless they were trying to manipulate him. Obie was an outlier and shouldn't be counted. He'd taken in Howard too.

Instead of just asking Bruce the first time he saw the marks, Tony waited. Outside of the lab Bruce wore long-sleeved shirts and sweaters, and inside he put on a lab coat. Still, they sometimes peeked past the left cuff. Reportedly Bruce had started taking off shirts before Hulking out; Tony was still working on his issues and not suiting up as Iron Man.

They weren't a tattoo. That had been an outside possibility. Tony supposed they could be a tattoo, if Bruce were willing to keep going for ink. Tony did eat with the team post mission, sometimes. When he really needed to reassure himself they were okay. Whatever the marks were, they weren't there then.

So seeing them, it, outright was a surprise. A knotwork dragon coiled around Bruce's forearm disappearing up past the rolled up shirt sleeve. Henna. Obvious.

"Steve draws it." Bruce smiled.

Free-hand. "Why?"

Bruce smiled more. It was a good look, but didn't answer the question.

"We got married."

It wasn't the last answer he expected. "When?" A totally unexpected answer. Neither had breathed a word. Tony considered when he'd first seen them. He tried to think when he'd last seen Bruce's arm without them, discounting post-Hulk. "Why not tell us?" Maybe Tony wasn't as good at seeing not things.

"Are you and Pepper going to get married?" Bruce had returned to his experiment.

Eventually she'd let him ask her. That had to be a positive, that she wouldn't let him ask. She wouldn't say no, not after keeping him from asking.

"I did tell you." Bruce interrupted Tony's interruption. "Just now, that was me telling you."

Tony shut his mouth. "Will you tell the others?"

Bruce nodded. "Steve and I will."


End file.
